U.S. Catholics are still getting to know Pope Leo XIV. But they like what they’ve seen so far. Overall, 84% of U.S. Catholics say they have a favorable view of Leo, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. Just 4% say they have an unfavorable view of him, while 11% say they have never heard of Pope Leo.
At the same time, most American Catholics say they don’t know much about the new pope. Leo became pope in May following the death of Pope Francis. Some 67% say they know a little about Leo, and 25% know nothing at all. Just 7% say they know a lot about him.
When it comes to expectations for his papacy, 52% of U.S. Catholics are unsure how Leo’s church leadership will compare with Francis’ or say they don’t know anything about the new pope to begin with. Another 33% think Leo will be pretty similar to Francis, while 13% think he will be pretty different.
Leo XIV is the first U.S.-born pope. When asked how excited they are to have a pope who was born in the United States, 36% of American Catholics say they are extremely or very excited. An additional 40% say they are somewhat excited. On the other hand, 22% say they are not too or not at all excited to have a U.S.-born pope.
The survey also asked non-Catholics about Pope Leo. Perhaps not surprisingly, non-Catholics are even less familiar with Leo than Catholics are. For example, when asked whether they have a favorable or unfavorable view of Leo, 31% of non-Catholics say they have never heard of him. Still, 56% of non-Catholics view Leo favorably.
How views of Pope Leo XIV compare with views of Francis, Benedict XVI and John Paul II
The Center has long conducted research on Catholicism in the U.S., including asking American Catholics about their views of Catholic leaders.
The share of Catholics who view Leo favorably today is identical to the share who viewed Pope Francis favorably early in his pontificate. In a March 2013 survey, 84% of American Catholics also expressed favorable views of Francis.
How views of Pope Leo differ by rates of Mass attendance
U.S. Catholics who attend Mass at least once a week say they view Leo more positively and know more about him than other U.S. Catholics do.
For instance, 95% of those who attend Mass weekly say they have a favorable view of Leo, compared with 84% who attend Mass a few times a month or once or twice a year, and 77% of Catholics who seldom or never attend Mass.
Still, even weekly Mass attenders are largely unfamiliar with the new pope. Three-quarters say they know only a little about Leo, and 11% say they know nothing about him.
How Catholic Democrats and Republicans view Pope Leo
Vast majorities of both Catholic Democrats (89%) and Republicans (84%) view Leo favorably.
Catholic Democrats are about as likely to rate Leo positively as they were to rate Francis positively at the end of his papacy. In a February 2025 survey – shortly before Francis died – 88% of Catholic Democrats said they had a favorable view of him.
By contrast, Catholic Republicans rate Leo significantly more positively than they rated his predecessor earlier this year. In February, 69% of Catholic Republicans expressed a favorable view of Francis.
Our polling throughout Francis’ papacy found that majorities of Catholic Republicans and Democrats consistently viewed him favorably. However, Catholic Republicans gradually grew more negative toward him while Catholic Democrats did not, creating a divide during the later years of his pontificate.
These partisan differences in views about Francis are still evident in the new survey. Far more Catholic Democrats (44%) than Republicans (21%) think that Leo’s leadership of the Catholic Church will be similar to Francis’ pontificate and that this is a good thing.
By contrast, more Catholic Republicans (18%) than Democrats (8%) say they think Leo will be different from Francis and that the change is a good thing.
Note: Here are the questions used for this analysis, the topline and the survey methodology.
